Tommy
2000, Fort Lauderdale (After the Execution)
“So how was last night?” Tommy asked Alec as he walked inside his partner’s office. He shut the door behind him and took the chair in front of Alec’s desk.
Alec leaned back, his chair giving a small squeak. Ginny’s college friend, Casey, was in town for a while, and Ginny had thought the two should meet. The four of them met for dinner the previous night. After, Alec took Casey out for drinks and dancing, and Tommy took Ginny home.
“Well?” Tommy grinned. “You have to tell me something. I’m sure Ginny is grilling Casey, and she’ll want to know if you said anything to me. And if I go home and tell my wife you didn’t say anything, I’ll have to hear it that I should’ve asked you. So I’m asking you. Did you have a good time?”
Alec smiled awkwardly. “Yeah, I had a good time, Tom. Casey is beautiful and smart, and I really enjoyed her company.”
“Really enjoyed her company, huh? Sounds like dullsville.”
Alec’s smile faded. “I just don’t think I’m ready, man. I thought I was, otherwise, I wouldn’t have agreed to go. And I’m flattered that Ginny tried to set me up with somebody so gorgeous and successful. I really am. I know Casey has dated NBA players and NASCAR drivers and even some hotshot tech CEO. Honestly, Tom, I think she’s looking to settle down. And I just can’t go there right now. The separation is still too fresh.”
What Alec didn’t add, couldn’t add, was how the date had ended. He’d walked Casey to her door and bent down to give her a kiss on the cheek. She’d smiled up at him to thank him for a lovely evening, but the words had caught in her throat, and her face grew serious.
“So how do you intend to handle it?” she asked as they’d stood at her front door.
The full moon cast a soft glow over them. They could hear the gentle murmuring of an elderly couple as they took a midnight walk with their dog on the sidewalk in front of Casey’s rented townhouse.
“Handle what?”
Her reply caught him off guard. “Handle the fact that you’re either already in love with or falling in love with Ginny.”
Casey’s words had shocked him. She’d invited him in for coffee and politely explained how he probably hadn’t realized it, but he’d spent most of their date talking about how lucky Tommy was and what a good mother Ginny was and did Tommy know what he had.
Alec swallowed now, fumbling for the right words to say to Tommy. Casey was right. Alec had slowly been falling for Ginny.
And he realized with a jolt that it had happened long before Paulina had left him. It was all those times they’d spent together with the kids. There were even a few instances when both Paulina and Tommy hadn’t been able to make it to some family function, and he’d been alone with Gin and the children. It had never bordered on inappropriate, but his feelings had been there all along, and he couldn’t deny them. He remembered the recent lunch date with Ginny and how he’d gone home that night and jerked off in the shower while fantasizing about her. The thought of slowly undressing her and what he’d find under that sexy outfit she’d been wearing that day almost undid him.
But he also knew he wouldn’t allow himself to act on it. He respected Tommy too much. He wouldn’t do to a friend what had been done to him. It was different, but not really.
He’d made up his mind last night after the conversation with Casey and was at the boys’ school first thing this morning to make sure it wouldn’t be a problem.
Tommy nodded in understanding. “At least you’re honest about not being ready, man. I appreciate that. Casey’s not just an easy lay. From what Gin’s told me, she’s gone into those relationships looking for more than a good time, but it’s never worked out for her. You could’ve led her on and made her think there could’ve been something more. I’m glad you didn’t. Is she expecting to hear from you again?”
“I don’t think so. The chemistry just wasn’t there. I’m pretty sure we’re both on the same page.”
“So are the boys getting excited about the cruise?” Tommy asked as he stood. He knew Ginny would be disappointed to hear Alec and Casey hadn’t ignited any sparks.
“Yeah, ummm, listen. I need to talk to you about that. Sit back down.” He gestured toward the seat Tommy just vacated.
“Sounds serious. What’s up?”
“The kids and I are going to pass on the cruise. I appreciate that you and Ginny invited us to be part of your Thanksgiving holiday, but I think we need to save it for another time. I—I need some time away, Tom. I’m thinking of taking the boys for a couple of months and heading up to my grandparents’ old cabin in the Carolinas. It’s in the mountains, away from everything and everyone. No phones, no cell reception, no cable or satellite TV. It’ll be good for the kids and me.”
“Paulina?”
“Are you asking if I’m leaving because of Paulina, or are you asking if she knows?” Before Tommy could reply, Alec said, “I’m not leaving because of her, and she doesn’t know yet, though I can assure you she won’t care. I’ve already talked to the boys’ teachers and can get advanced assignments. They won’t be penalized and can pick up where they left off when we get back. It’s just been a lot, and I guess having time with a beautiful woman last night and not feeling anything is telling me something. I need to regroup and get my life together. Make a plan for my boys and me. Honestly, Tom, I’m not sure if my future is in South Florida.”
Tommy hadn’t expected this, but he understood. He was sincere when he’d suggested to Ginny not too long ago that they sell everything and start fresh somewhere.
“You covered for me when I was going through my shit. I can certainly handle things here for you.”
“There won’t be much to handle. I’ve got most of my clients wrapped up. I haven’t been taking on anything new, so you’ll only have to deal with your clients. And of course, you’ll have Phil and Brody.” Phil and Brody were junior architects and would easily pick up any slack if needed.
Tommy didn’t say anything, and Alec wasn’t sure what he was thinking. Then something occurred to Alec, and he quickly added, “Unless you need me here. I’ve not asked how things are with you and Ginny. I figured the family cruise was a good thing. Am I right?”
Tommy scratched his chin and let out an audible sigh. He let both hands land with a thud on the chair armrest.
“Yeah, the cruise is a good thing. Things are good with Ginny. Better than they’ve been in a while. I don’t know. I just still feel like shit about some things.”
Sarah Jo’s threat had weighed heavily on him, and when Ginny had recognized something was bothering him, he’d done the shittiest thing he could’ve done. He’d brought up her interview with Leslie. He’d done it to divert the conversation away from what was really bothering him. Sarah Jo.
This surprised Alec. Even when Tommy and Ginny were separated, he never saw his friend act anything other than upbeat, positive, and always professional. Then again, he’d been going through his own hell with Paulina and may not have noticed.
“If you wanna talk, man, feel free to unload. I won’t judge. I’ll just listen.”
Tommy cast a wary eye at his friend. Alec had been a good partner and a good friend. Tommy hated to admit it, but he’d had Axel do an extensive background check on Alec before Tommy accepted him into the firm, eventually promoting him to a full partner. He found they fell into an easy and comfortable relationship and mixed just enough business with pleasure to have a trusting and amicable friendship.
But it had never gone so far that Tommy shared any of his and Ginny’s background. He’d trusted Alec with his business. Could he trust him with some personal revelations, as well? It would be nice to get some things off his chest. Not all things. He would never tell Alec about Grizz or the motel. But he could share, without giving any details, the burden he’d been carrying about Sarah Jo.
“Yeah, man. I could use an ear. Maybe even some advice.”
Alec looked at his watch and pressed the intercom on his phone. When his assistant responded, he told her, “Please reschedule my one o’clock with Mr. Sanders.” He nodded at Tommy.
Tommy took a deep breath. “Have you ever met or heard me or Ginny talk about Sarah Jo before?”
“Yeah. I know her. Husband’s a surgeon? I’ve seen her a couple of times at your get-togethers. I don’t think I ever said anything to her other than ‘please pass the potato salad.’ One of Ginny’s friends, right?”
Tommy swallowed thickly and tugged at his collar. Was the room getting hot or was he just getting riled at the mention of her name?
He didn’t go into any of the sordid details, purposely leaving Ginny’s miscarriage and rape out of the story, but he did tell Alec he’d recently discovered Sarah Jo hadn’t exactly been the friend that Ginny and he always thought she was. He never mentioned the threats or what Sarah Jo was capable of, pretending he only needed advice on how much one should share with their spouse when it would only hurt them.
“You said that all of the shit happened years ago, when you were younger? Do you think she’s grown past it, or does she still pull crap?” Alec asked.
“I don’t think she’s done anything bad in years, but I don’t have a way to know that for sure.” Tommy let out a sigh. “I just don’t think I can stand to be in the same room with her knowing what she was capable of.”
“Well, if it wasn’t life or death shit, I’d say she outgrew it, but the decision to stay friends or not should be left up to your wife. I would tell her.”
Tommy had no intention of telling Ginny about Sarah Jo’s deceitfulness. He just needed to talk, and spilling some frustrations to Alec had helped. He was certain Alec would’ve been appalled to hear the brutal truth of what Sarah Jo was capable of—and their threats to each other.
He thanked Alec and quickly changed the subject to a recent client who’d threatened to fire them and take her business to a rival firm.
Alec leaned back in his chair and placed his hands behind his head. He stared at the ceiling without saying anything for a minute. This particular client had been stringing them along for months. He thought they should cut their losses and say goodbye. She’d been a thorn in their side and they could take the financial hit. But the thought of her trying to blackmail them into more work at no expense to her snooty self didn’t sit well with Alec.
“Call her bluff, Tom. Call her fucking bluff.”
**********
Tommy turned up the radio in his car as he sat in bumper-to-bumper traffic on I-95. “If I’d Been The One” by 38 Special reminded him of a smaller, simpler South Florida.
He was getting tired of the traffic, the crowds, and seeing all the places that used to be home to palm trees replaced with concrete. He was serious when he’d told Ginny a few months ago that they should sell everything and start over fresh somewhere. Maybe she would still consider it.
Mimi would be bringing home a boy tonight. A boy she’d secretly been seeing behind their backs for months before Grizz’s execution.
He couldn’t blame his daughter for the secrecy, and he was grateful that she’d confided about the guy to Gin. He’d almost gone through the roof when Ginny told him the boy, Elliott, had turned eighteen this year. But, when Ginny explained that Elliott had wanted to meet them and it was Mimi who’d avoided it, he calmed down a bit.
“We have to give him a chance, Tommy. He’s trying to do right by her. Can you imagine how nervous he must be?”
So they would be meeting Elliott for the first time tonight, and Ginny had told him Mimi didn’t know who she was more worried about: her father intimidating Elliott or ten-year-old Jason embarrassing her to death. Tommy knew he wouldn’t do anything to make his daughter or Elliott feel uncomfortable, but he sure as hell couldn’t vouch for what Jason might do. She was probably right. Jason would embarrass her.
For Tommy’s part, he would be nice. Polite but firm. If—and it was a big if—he approved of this young man, there would be strict rules until his daughter turned eighteen. He’d let Ginny and Grizz down once by not being on top of Mimi’s activities. It wouldn’t happen again.
**********
Tommy was getting ready for work the next morning as he let himself think about the night before. The dinner had passed without incident. Well, if you could forget Jason’s awkwardly timed questions about whether or not Mimi and Elliott made out, Tommy would say it was downright successful.
He had to admit he didn’t like the ink and he didn’t like the bike, but he had to give the kid credit for not trying to hide it. Elliott was up front about not always being on his best behavior. He talked about his grandmother, Edith. He talked about school and work, and these were all things that could easily be verified. And they would be, as soon as Tommy had a few minutes to talk to Axel. He wasn’t going to feel guilty or apologize for asking Axel to do a background check on Elliott.
He found himself hoping Elliott was being truthful. He didn’t want to find out the boy had been dishonest about anything. Tommy thought Elliott looked like he could’ve been older than eighteen, but he knew Axel would find out for sure.
He’d just finished combing his hair and spraying on some cologne. He wouldn’t let himself think about how he’d handle it if something did come to light that he didn’t care for. It was troublesome enough for him and Ginny to deal with Mimi falling for a boy three years older than her.
He bounded down the stairs and could hear his family’s lighthearted banter at the breakfast table. The smell of freshly brewed coffee and something cooking caused his stomach to rumble.
He walked into the kitchen and headed straight for the coffee pot, planting a kiss on Ginny’s cheek as she stood at the stove and flipped pancakes. He chanced a peek at Mimi’s face. She was smiling at something Jason had said to her. He paused for a second before the reality of what he was seeing sunk in. He hadn’t seen this look on Mimi’s face in a while. She was happy. She was teasing with her brother.
He sent up a silent prayer. God, please let this boy be who he says he is.
“Well, maybe Mom has another pink one you can use,” Mimi teased her brother. “Maybe you can even take it on the cruise with us next week.”
“No!” Jason yelled at his sister. “Pink is for girls! Mom, you have a blue one, don’t you?”
Tommy had his back to the table as he poured his coffee. He started to turn but stopped when he heard Ginny’s reply.
“I’m sure I have a spare toothbrush that isn’t pink, Jason. Dr. McDonough always gives us freebies when we get our cleanings.”
Tommy carried his coffee to the table and sat down, asking casually, “What’s all this about pink and blue toothbrushes?”
Mimi looked at her father and said, “Jason dropped his toothbrush in the toilet last night. Again. Last time he did it, Mom had to give him the only spare one she had, and it was pink. He got so mad at her that he threw it away after he used it.”
“I did not throw it away!” Jason stated emphatically. “I didn’t, Mom, I swear. It was gone when I got home from school.” He picked up his orange juice and shot a glare at his sister, whining, “I don’t know why you had to bring something up from over a year ago, Mimi.”
Ginny loaded pancakes on the plate in the middle of the table and cast an amused eye at her son.
“Well, I don’t know where it went,” Ginny told Jason, “but I remember getting you a new one that same day, and I never did find the pink one I gave you.” She smiled at Tommy and her smile faded as she noticed his expression.
“Tommy? Are you okay, babe? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
He caught himself and smiled. “Coffee went down funny. Feel like I have some heartburn coming on. I just need to eat.”
“Well, there’s plenty,” she said. “Mimi, you’ll miss your bus, and I don’t have time to drive you. Jason, keep eating or you’ll miss yours, too. You still need to brush your teeth.”
“But, Mom...” Jason started to whine.
“I have a spare toothbrush, and I’m pretty sure it’s blue. Now eat!”
Tommy wasn’t sure how to ask without it sounding too awkward, so he blurted out the first thing that came to mind.
“So I guess Mom needs to save the pink ones for Mimi, right? Like Jason said, pink is for girls.” He looked at his plate as he cut his pancakes.
“That’s what I think, too, Dad, but Mimi always calls first dibs on the colors when we go to the dentist and we get our new toothbrushes.”
Mimi had already stood and pushed her chair in with her hip.
“Pink? Are you serious, Dad? I haven’t had a pink anything since I was ten years old.” She turned to her mother. “I like using the dining room chairs in here, Mom. They’re easier on the butt.”
She walked over to the bench by the back door and picked up her backpack and teasingly addressed her little brother.
“And what do you care anyway, Jason? I always pick green because I know you like blue. I cannot believe we’re even having this conversation.”
She rolled her eyes and walked out of the kitchen, but not before Ginny caught a hint of a smile. Her Mimi was back.